Crossing-signal for railways.



PATENTBDVSEPT. 27, 1904,

E. W. VOGBL. CROSSING SIGNAL FOR. RAILWAYS.

A'PPLIGATIOH FILED MAY 20, 1901.

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No. 771,029. 7 PATENTED SEPT. 27, 1904. B. W. VOGEL.

CROSSING SIGNAL FOR RAILWAYS. APPLICATION FILED MAY 20, 1901.

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No. 771,029- I PATENTED SEPT. 27, 1904.-

' E. W. VOGEL.

GRDSSING SIGNAL FOR RAILWAYS.,

APPLIOATION FILED MAY 20, 1901.

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N i .....r J W H 74652666366? EWC226077- UNIT STATES Patented September 27, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

EUGENE w. vOeEL, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIs, ASSIGNOR, BY MEsNE AS- SIGNMENTS, TO THE RAILROAD SUPPLY COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

CROSSING-SIGNAL FOR FIAILWAYS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 771,029, dated September 27, 1904.

Application filed May 20, 1901.

T0 (LZZ whom lt may concern.-

Be it known that I, EUGENE W. VOGEL, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Crossing-Signals for Railways; and I do hereby declare that the follow: ing is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to improvements in crossing-signals for railways, and more particularly to a crossing-signal for railways by means of which a positive signal is given for a train approaching a crossing, but is discontinued upon the first truck of the train reaching the "crossing, the same, however, being automatically reset when the train recedes from the crossing, thereby enabling another train to actuate the signal independently of the first train.

The invention consists of the matters hereinafter described, and more fully pointed out and defined in the appended claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of a device embodying my invention. Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic view showing the armatures L and b when the train has passed from the insulated track-section A onto the insulated track-section A Fig. 2 is a similar view showing a slight difference in the arrangement of the circuits. Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 and showing my device embodied with an interlocking relay. Fig. 4 is also a diagrammatic view showing my invention embodied with a short insulated tracksection at thecrossing. Fig. 5 is a view showing in detail the construction of the armature of the magnet B in the modification illustrated in Fig. 4.

In said drawings, A indicates the main track; B, the crossing.

A A indicateinsulated track-sections in the main track, one on each side of the crossing, and having electrically connected with the rails thereof the batteries, respectively we (4 B B indicate the electromagnets of an in- Serial No. 61,145. (No model.)

terfering-relay, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 4 of the Hovey type, which are respectively connected to the rails of the insulated sections A and A The armatures for said electromagnets are indicated by b 7).

B indicates the electromagnet of a relay one of the conductor-wires (Z of which is connected with the battery to, which is connected with one of the track-rails of one of the insulated sections, as shown, with A The other conductor, (Z of said electromagnet is connected with the conductor of the electromagnet B, which is connected with the rail of the track-section A corresponding with that in the section A with which the battery (4 is connected. The armature b for the relay B is electrically connected with the conductor (Z and is adapted for electrical contact with the armatures b b when their respective electromagnets are deenergized.

C is an electromagnetic bell of any desired form, electrically connected with the main battery D. A conductor (Z is connected in said battery and with the armature b. A conductor cl is electrically connected with the bell and is provided with a contact-piece adapted to be electrically engaged by the armature 6 when the electromagnet thereof is dcenergized. The armatures Z) 5 are connected by the conductor (Z The operation of the circuits, as shown in Fig. 1, is as follows: The train entering the track-circuit A short-circuits the battery a and deenergizes the electromagnct B. The armature 6 thereof drops upon the fixed contact E, connected to the conductor (Z thereby completing a circuitthrough the armature b, conductor (Z, the bell, the battery D, the conductor (Z, and the armature b and causing the bell to ring. The train continuing to move toward the crossing, the first truck thereof and each subsequent truck forms an electrical connection between the corresponding rails of the insulated sections when at the crossing, thereby Completing the circuit through the battery a, conductor (F, electromagnet' B conductor (Z and back to the rails of the insulated sections. The magnet B thus enercircuit, thus silencing the bell. The magnet B is what is known as a slow-acting magnet, so that it will hold the armature 7/ by residual magnetism during the intervals when the circuit through the magnet is opened by reason of one car-truck having passed from one insulated track-section onto the other and the succeeding truck not having spanned the adjoining ends of the two track-sections. Obviously when the first trucks of the train strike the section A the battery (1/ is shortcircuited, thereby permitting the armature b to drop on the armature b. This, however, can have no effect upon the bell-circuit for the reason before stated. The train now passing the crossing and being wholly upon the track-section A the armature Z) is again lifted by its electromagnet and lifts therewith the armature 7), as shown in Fig. 1. At the same time the magnet B is deenergized, as there is no longer theelectrical connection between the corresponding rails of the insulated sections afforded by the trucks of the train, and consequently the armature 7/ falls upon the contact for the conductor (Z, the same, however, having no effect upon the bell, owing to the fact that both the armatures b and 7/ are supported out of contact with the conductor (i Obviously the same results may be obtained in several different ways.

A slightly-diiferent arrangement is illustrated in Fig. 2, in which, as shown, the conductors (Z (Z of the electromagnet B lead (11- rectly to the corresponding' rails of the insulated sections A A, and one of the same is provided in its length with the battery a. The operation is essentially the same as before described.

The arrangement shown in Fig. 3 is identical with that shown in Fig. 2, with the exception that an interlocking relay is indicated instead of the interfering relay. (Shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 4.) Said relay consists of the electromagnets 13* B connected with the respective insulated track-sections in a manner similar to that shown for the electromagnets B and B before mentioned. Armatures F1)" are provided adapted to fall toward each other in any desired manner-as, for instance, by gravity when the magnets therefor are deenergized. The conductor (6" is provided with a double contact, one for each of said armatures. The operation is as before described.

In the arrangementillustrated in Fig. 4 the insulated track-sections A A are used as before described, and a short insulated tracksection A is located between the same and at the crossing. Each of said track-sections is provided with a battery?! (1/ a, respectively. The electromagnets B and B are respectively connected in the said sections A A and are provided with armatures 7) 7/, which are electrically connected at their lower ends by the conductor (Z The arrangement of the battery D, the bell O, and the conductors (l and meeting with the battery (4.

(Z are as before described. Conductors lead from each rail of the track-section A to the electromagnet B, one of said conductors con- The armature of the electromagnet B is provided with a plurality of contacts 7f 6 72 connected thereto but insulated therefrom and from each other, as shown in Fig. 5. For the purpose of clearer illustration these contacts are diagrammatically shown separated, the parts of which are indicated, respectively, by 6'' b 7/ in Fig. f. The contact 7 is adapted for contact with the conductor (Z, thereby completing the bell-circuit when either of the armatures Z) or 6 falls. The other contacts or members of said armatures namely, b and b are connected, respectively, with one of the conductors of the electromagnets B or B and adapted when the electromagnet B is denergized to have electrical contact with the other conductor, thereby closing the circuit of the batteries (4 and (0 through the said electromagnets.

The operation is as follows: The circuit for the battery a being normally open, the armature normally lies in the position indicated in Fig. 4-that is to say, in contact with the conductor (1 and closing the circuits through the electromagnets B and B A train now entering either of the insulated sections A or A. -say, for convenience, A short-circuits the battery (L2, permitting the armature b to fall upon the contact for the conductor (Z This closes the bell-circuit and the bell rings. The

train continuing toward the crossing B, when the first truck strikes the insulated section A the circuit for the battery 6& is closed, thereby energizing the electromagnet B lifting the armature therefor and opening the bellcircuit and the circuits of the batteries (0 and a and permitting armature 7) to fall on armature 7/] So long as any of the trucks of the train are on the insulated section A the bell obviously cannot ring. As the train passes the crossing going to the left the electromagnet B is deenergized by the breaking of the circuit of the battery (6 thus causing the armature of the electromagnet B to drop, thereby closing the circuit of the battery a and energizing the electromagnet B thereby lifting the armature b and together therewith the armature Z), holding the same supported, thereby breaking the bell-circuit. When the train has run entirely off the insulated section A, the magnet B is energized, drawing its armature off the armature 7). The signal is thus again set for use. Obviously a following train entering the insulated track-section A after the preceding train has cleared the section A causes the armature b to drop, as in the first instance, thereby actuating the signal.

. Obviously any desired number of insulated sections corresponding with A and similarly connected with battery (6 and magnet B and without departing from this invention many different arrangements of the circuits may be devised and any desired form or type of relay or relays or armatures therefor may be provided without departing from the principle of my invention.

What I claim is 1. In a railroad signal system, the combination with signal mechanism, of insulated sections of track extending in both directions from said signal mechanism, a circuit including said signal mechanism, an interfering-relay controlling said circuit, track-circuits con nected to the insulated track-sections at either side of the signal mechanism for actuating said relay to operate the signal upon the approach of a train from either direction, a circuit-controller in the signal-circuit, and means for actuating said circuit-controller to discontinue the signal upon a train reaching the signal mechanism.

2. In a railroad signal system, the combination with signal mechanism, of insulated sections of track extending in both directions from said signal mechanism, a circuit including said signal mechanism, an interfering-relay controlling said circuit, track-circuits connected to the insulated track-sections at either side of the signal mechanism for actuating said relay to operate the signal upon the approach of a train from either direction, acircuit'controller in the signal-circuit, a circuit including means for operating said controller connected to a rail of each insulated tracksection whereby when the train reaches the signal the car-trucks close said circuit thereby actuating the controller to change the condition of the signal-circuit so as to discontinue the signal.

3. In a railroad signal system, the combination with signal mechanism, of insulated sections of track extending in both directions from said signal mechanism, a circuit including said signal mechanism, an interfering-relay controlling said circuit, track-circuits connected to the insulated track-sections at either side of the signal mechanism for actuating said relay to operate the signal upon the approach of a train from either direction, an electromagnetic cut-out for breaking the signal-circuit, a circuit for actuating said cutout leads of which are connected to corresponding rails in said track-sections whereby when a train reaches the signal the car-trucks close the actuating-circuit of the cut-out thereby breaking the signal-circuit and discontinuing the signal.

4. In a railroad signal system, the combination with a normally open signal-circuit, of

signal mechanism included in said circuit, an interfering-relay controlling said circuit, normally closed track-circuits including the respective magnets of said relay and connected to insulated track-sections extending in opposite directions from the signal, a normally closed electromagnetic cut-out located in the signal-circuit, a normally open circuit including means for operating said cut-out leads of which are connected to corresponding rails in the insulated track-sections, whereby when a train approaches the signal from either direction the interfering-relay is actuated to close the signal-circuit and when the train reaches the signal the trucks thereof close the circuit of the cut-out thereby breaking the signalcircuit and discontinuing the signal.

5. In a railroad signal-system, the combination with a signal-circuit, electromagnetic circuit-controllers, circuits actuating said controllers connected to insulated track-sections on either side of a given point, an electromagnetic cut-out for breaking the signal-circuit, a circuit actuating said cut-out connected to a rail of each insulated track-section, whereby when the train reaches said given point the actuating-circuit of the cut-out is-closed, thereby breaking the signal-circuit and discontinuing the signal, substantially as described.

6. In a railroad signal system, the combination with a signal-circuit, of an interferingrelay controlling said circuit, said relay being actuated by the approach of a train to a given point to close the signal-circuit and thereby operate the signal, and an electromagnetic cutout actuated when the front of the train reaches the given point to break the signal-circuit and discontinue the signal, substantially as described.

7. In a signal system, the combination with I a signal-operating mechanism, insulated tracksections extending in opposite directions from the signal mechanism, means actuated by a train approaching said signal mechanism from either direction to operate the signal, and means actuated by the train when occupying both track-sections to discontinue the signal, and actuated to continue the signal when said train is again on one track-section only and another train is on the other track-section, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

EUGENE W. VOGEL.

In presence of H. H. VAUGHAN, J. P. Wilson 

